Building Performance Colorado (BPC) is a statewide program, which was born from Colorado’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Pollution Reduction Roadmap. Did you know that this program will likely follow in the same footsteps as Energize Denver? To learn more about Building Performance Colorado and the 2023 submittal dates administered by the Colorado Energy Office, click below.
Continuation of BUILDING PERFORMANCE COLORADO
BPC‘s goal is twofold: increase energy efficiency and reduce Colorado’s greenhouse gas emissions in the building sector.
Who is the target audience? Building Performance Colorado (BPC) applies to the owners of covered buildings 50k square feet or greater throughout the state. In addition, there is Energize Denver, which has a similar construct, but applies to buildings 25k square feet or greater within the Denver city limits. Similar initiatives are in place requiring benchmarking in Fort Collins, Boulder, and Aspen as well. To underscore the importance of BPC, it has been signed into law and now has been accepted by the National Building Performance Standards Coalition.
What is Benchmarking? A process used to quantify how much energy a building is using when compared to similar buildings via the metric Energy Use Intensity (EUI). “Similar buildings,” in terms of but not limited to the following criteria: occupancy levels, size, age, and climates (think of the temperature differences in Cañon City vs. Fraser in the winter). When compiled this data can provide insight on the overall performance of your building. If your building is part of one of these initiatives, submit your respective energy usage to the Colorado Energy Office (CEO) in the upcoming months.
When is the next deadline? Benchmark your building’s energy usage by June 1, 2023, for the prior year’s energy usage from January 1, 2022-December 31, 2022. According to CEO, this will be enforced and there will possibly be fines for noncompliance.
What are some of the projected positives? From a macro perspective, BPC should lead to economic growth (wellness, work productivity, job creation etc.) increase the market value of assets, promote a cleaner environment, and net long-term profits for building owners.
What are some of the concerns? There has been some ambiguity around the initiatives, such as fine amounts, building classification and exemptions.
Why partner with Haynes to reach your Building Performance Colorado goals? HVAC use accounts for nearly 40% of the energy usage in a commercial building. Thus, given the levels of consumption, the latest breakthroughs in technology, and the government economic incentives, tackling HVAC tends to be one of the most effective ways to conserve energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Our energy team has enabled many buildings to significantly reduce their overall consumption while simultaneously increasing indoor air quality. Consequently, many of these buildings are now on their way to achieving long-term EUI goals. Please reach out to your Haynes representative for case studies, and how we can assist your team with BPC.
Recording of our Colorado Energy Ordinances Webinar
Primary Sources:
Energy Use in Commercial Buildings
National Building Performance Standards Coalition